Stop and hear the music.

This story caught my attention the other day, even though it's a few years old. I think there's a lesson to be learned from this...

A friend posted this article on Facebook…so true!THE SITUATION - In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. At 10 minutes:A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.At 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.After 1 hour:He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities. This experiment raised several questions: *In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? *If so, do we stop to appreciate it? *Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made … How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?click here to see the footage

THE SITUATION - In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made …

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?



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Wishlist Wednesday!

Welcome to yet another Wishlist Wednesday! Yes, on time again. (You can remove your jaw from the floor now, Danielle. ;p)

After compiling my wishlist goodies for this week, I realized I am craving Fallesque things. I am SO happy that Autumn is finally here, you guys!

via Anthropologie (aka the price is just your right arm, no biggie)
also via Anthropologie (oh hey, I can actually afford this one...sort of.)

via Fossil (I am so lusting after this coat. even though it is still 80+ degrees here in Miami.)
via Sony (I finally narrowed my ereader choice down to the Sony touch. I can't wait to get it!)
via LA Times (oh hello, Harry Potter. I'll be visiting you VERY soon. :-D)

What are YOU wishing for this week? Let me know in the comments! And also feel free to discuss last night's episode of Glee and how awesomely awesome it was.

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Do you Tumblr?

Do you have a Tumblr? I've been blogging on Tumblr for some time now, mostly posting (and reblogging) pictures, videos, songs and other things that catch my fancy. Lately I've been posting "spam" on a particular theme -- my latest one is retro ads, like the one for Silly Putty that you see below.

If you have a Tumblr, let me know in the comments so I can follow you! You can see my Tumblr here.

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Lolcat of the Week

funny pictures-Why iz I not part of  your planz today?
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Do your cats do this, too? Or is just my cat... Every time I'm reading something or trying to write something, my cat decides to sit right on top of it. It never fails!

Have a great Monday, everyone! :-) 

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Week in Review

Like I posted on Friday, this has been a busy week, work- and school-wise. It's been nice just relaxing this weekend. I did not open my work bag all day Saturday, just spending time during the day dithering on the interwebs and then getting together with Ricky at night for dinner and a movie.

I slept over his place last night and woke up at 11 AM this morning positively starving. But I could find nothing edible in his house other than a few stale Triscuits. Happily, Ricky unearthed a package of frozen hampao when he (finally) woke up, and he steam-cooked one for me. Reader, if you have never had a hampao before, it is a steam-cooked pork bun made of pillow-soft bread. And the one Ricky made me today was better than any I've had in a restaurant. No lie. And this from a frozen hampao. The brand is called O'Tasty, and you know, it was o-tasty. It really was.

Well, I think I somewhat redeemed myself in the blogging department by posting four entries in two days. Here are all of this week's posts in case you missed any:
And I'm off to go make myself another hampao. Here is what hampao look like, in case you are curious:

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Hope you are having a delicious Sunday! :-)

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"You really don't stand a chance..."


I get chills every time I see this new trailer... The hiss in his voice as Voldemort says, "I must be the one to kill Harry Potter." The hilarious sight of the Order of the Phoenix members disguised as Harry Potter. The heartbreaking sight of Harry and Hermione visiting the graves of Lily and James Potter.

To coin one of my students' favorite words, this movie is going to be EPIC.

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These are a few of my (current) favorite things...

I have horrendous under eye circles which I inherited from my mother's side of the family. (Thanks, Mom!) And while concealers have always been near and dear to my heart, I have never found the perfect product, the one item that will whisk away the dark shadows and make me look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. ... Okay, maybe not bushy-tailed, but definitely bright-eyed! Enter confessions of a concealaholic. It is a kit by Benefit cosmetics that includes the best of their concealer products -- Erase Paste, That Girl, Boing, Lemon Aid, and Eye Bright. And they are all awesome. Don't let the silly names fool you -- these are some serious, hardworking products. What I've learned from using this kit is that it's not so much about finding that one great product but really about using a combination -- a cocktail, if you will -- of some great products. Alone, any of the above items works great, but when you use them together, they're even better.
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In high school I used to fall in love a lot. But while none of those boys really made a lasting impression on me, only one of my loves from high school proved true, and that was Clinique's almost lipstick. As the name suggests, it's barely a lipstick, really more of a cross between a balm and a lipstick. The product only comes in one shade, black honey, which is a sheer and shiny red. This is seriously the only red lipstick that has ever looked good on me -- red lipstick usually makes me look like a clown. I also like that it's not drying, like many lipsticks can be, but actually a little bit moisturizing. It works great for day or night looks, and my only complaint is that the slim little tube usually runs out in less than a month. But if you're looking for a red (almost) lipstick that will look flattering on any skin tone, then give this one a try --  this might be the lipstick for you.
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I first heard ZaZa last night, while I was getting ready for my date with the boyf and was listening to my iPod on shuffle. The song "Sooner or Later" came on and I realized I had downloaded the track from Amazon's mp3 store for free sometime during the summer and forgotten about it. After hearing the dreamy, echoey song wash over me, I replayed it. And replayed it. And replayed it some more. I have a habit of putting songs on repeat mode for a loooong time when they strike my fancy. And this song definitely did. Today I looked them up online and wound up buying their ep album, Cameo, in Amazon's mp3 store. It was less than $6.00 and definitely worth it. The rest of the ep is just as dreamy and echoey as the track "Sooner or Later." Another standout is "Always On." This is a relatively new band that hails from New York, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on them. If I had to compare their sound to another band, I'd say they sound a bit like The Black Ghosts, but even better. Here is the song "Sooner or Later" that I fell in love with last night. Hope you like it, too! :)


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I've never been one for wearing much jewelry, not like one of my friends Jennie, who can layer on the necklaces and bracelets in a stylish way. If I did the same thing, I'd just look like a little girl who was caught playing dress-up with her mother's jewelry. But lately I've been into quirky necklaces. I bought the tree + birdie necklace at your left from Ma Cherie Creations a couple of weeks ago and have been wearing it regularly ever since. Ordinarily, such a large pendant would look and feel strange on me, but this one just suits me for some reason. I've always loved trees and the little sparkly birdie hanging from this tree just completes the look. If you're looking for a quirky but wearable necklace to wear for a special occasion or even for every day use, I suggest you check out Ma Cherie Creations.

What are your favorites this month? Let me know in the comments! :)

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The Sweet Conundrum.

The word that often dogs my heels, like some snuggly, obliging puppy, is "sweet." If I had a dollar for every time a co-worker has told me, "You're such a sweet girl," I would probably have enough money to quit my job and live on that alone. (I exaggerate only slightly.) When a fellow teacher found out I was going to be teaching 9th graders for this first time this year, she exclaimed, "Ooh, your freshmen are going to love you because you're just so sweet!" Sure enough, shortly after meeting my freshmen students, they began cooing, "You're so sweet, Ms. Simon."

But in the face of all this positive name-calling, I am often left nonplussed. It bewilders me because I don't know how to take it. Do I say thank you? Smile (sweetly, of course)? Bat my eyelashes and duck my head like that blushing dwarf, Bashful, from Snow White?

I just never know how to react.

And the funny thing is that I have found myself feeling obligated to live up to my "name." When my co-workers ask me for favors, I feel bad saying no, because of my reputation for being "sweet." When my students ask me for extensions on assignments, I often give in -- you know, because they think I'm. Well... You know.

The problem is that the word "sweet" often has a flip-side. It's called "push-over." And that's one flip-side I don't want to visit. But how do I say no to my co-workers, to my students, to people in general, without failing their expectations of me? Without being called the dreaded "b" word, the very antithesis to sweet?

You see my conundrum, reader.

I guess I just have to find that happy medium -- the place where sweetness and confidence both reside. Where it's fine not to agree with people's opinions or expectations. Especially of me. Where it's okay to say no. So long as you say it with a (sweet) smile.

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What name(s) follow you, reader? And how do you deal with the built-in expectations that come with it?

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Happy Friday!

Well, this week flew.
I've been so caught up with grading, thesis nonsense, and just life in general that I've been neglecting my poor lonely blog. Instead of blogging, I've been writing tests and quizzes. Instead of reading your blogs and commenting, I've been proofreading my thesis and making corrections.

And you know what they say about "all work and no play"... I need a break!

To that end, I am putting down the red pen until Sunday evening. I am taking a break from grading and saying hello to relaxing. I am putting aside the thesis and visiting your blogs.

I have all these cool ideas for blog posts that I keep squirreling away into my "Bloggy Ideas" folder on my desktop. I hope to get to them soon, so expect multiple posts this weekend! :-)

Here are my answers to Lauren's fill in the blanks for this week:

1.   In the story of my life the actor who would play me would be  Audrey Tatou. I've been told I look like her, and I think she has the right blend of sweetness and quirkiness to play me. Plus I've got French on my dad's side of the family, so it doesn't hurt that she's French, too.

2.  If I could change one thing about the world it would be for more people to be open minded. What is  hurting us as a society today is our lack of understanding -- of communication. If we would just open our ears and our minds, we might be able to come to an understanding .

3.  Yesterday was a long and tiring day, but ultimately a great one, because I spent most of it with my boyf.

4.  My favorite comfort food is  toast liberally slathered with a healthy serving of Nutella.

5.  My new favorite blog find is  Occupation: Girl. Cleolinda is one of the funniest bloggers I've ever read.

6.  If I could meet any blog friend (who I haven't met yet) in real life, I'd choose to meet  Danielle from Dinosaur Toes. I loved  her blog at first read and I have a feeling she'd make an awesome real life friend.

7.  My favorite breakfast food is chocolate chip pancakes.

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Now go have yourself an awesome Friday. Something tells me I'll be craving chocolate chip pancakes this weekend...
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Lolcat of the Week

funny pictures-Soy milk? She sez she ordered SOY MILK?! Yeh, I'll get right on dat. Soon'z I find a soy cow.

I knew that I had to post this week's Lolcat as soon as I saw it. A picture that combines my love of Lolcats AND my love of Starbucks? Yeah, pretty much a given.

Hope you have a great Monday! :-)

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Week in Review

This week hasn't been particularly active in the blogging department. Apologies! It's been a busy week for me. On Tuesday, I had Open House at night at my school from 6:30-9:15 pm. I got to meet my students' parents and discuss my class expectations with them. Many more parents showed up than I expected, which is nice. It's wonderful to see parents involved in their children's education -- this isn't something you see a lot as a high school teacher, sad to say.

As tiring as Tuesday was, having to work a full day then come back to school at night, the rest of the week felt like a marathon, too. When I wasn't shaping young peoples' minds, I was helping my fellow teachers plan for our Hispanic Luncheon, which will be held this week. On Thursday, I went to FIU (my university) right after work to discuss some final thesis edits with one of my committee members. We also scheduled my thesis defense -- October 19th, a Tuesday, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. (EEEEK!) Seriously, though, it's exciting to know I'll be graduating soon.

On Friday after school, I went with my co-worker/good friend for our biweekly salon appointment. I went crazy and decided to paint my nails blue. I'm still undecided about them. On Saturday I worked all day grading my students' assignments. I've got to admit, it's a lot easier keeping up with the grading this year now that I no longer teach AP English Language (the numbers were too low this year due to dual enrollment). While I miss teaching the course, I definitely don't miss lugging home all those essays every week!

Today I'm going to work on my final thesis edits and maybe go grocery shopping with the boyf. I'm also going to try and finish reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. My rereading of the series has been delayed by my work and thesis responsibilities, but I'm excited to dive back into it, especially since they're going to be releasing another film trailer this Wednesday for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Here are my blog posts from this past week in case you missed any:


Wishlist Wednesday! {the birthday edition}

And the winner of the Ma Cherie Creations giveaway is...

Lolcat of the Week

Before I close, I want to share something I learned today, something that has me VERY upset. The book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson has been getting some unfair negative attention lately due to this man named Wesley Scroggins who is advocating for the banning of this book. He claims the book is pornographic, when it is NOT, and he wants to ban it from classrooms.

As a woman, a writer, and a teacher, I am fuming about this. The best part of it all is that Mr. Scroggins apparently did not read the book, because his claims have no merit. I have read the book and I can tell you, there are no sexually explicit scenes in the book at all. I figure, if you're going to push for the banning of a particular book, at least READ THE DAMN BOOK. Don't just go by the blurb on the back cover and create something out of nothing.

Please read the author's recent blog post on this, and I encourage you to watch the video at the end of Anderson's post, too. It will make you appreciate the book -- and our freedom of speech, granted to us in the Constitution -- even more.

 Have you read Speak? What are your thoughts on its attempted banning? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Worth.

I was rereading the short story "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant today in preparation for teaching it next week to my freshmen, and it got me thinking about social stature and self worth.

I haven't reread this story since high school, I don't think. When I read it all those years ago (how many, I won't say), I was a silly little empty-headed girl. I confess this. Weighty matters like social stature and self worth didn't take up much space inside my head back then. What I did know was the feeling of having to go without -- the frustration of knowing my parents couldn't buy me an outfit for the latest party, just because they'd spent every last penny paying for my education.

You see, my parents enrolled me in expensive private schools for all of my formative years, K-12. I don't think I appreciated this back then. Not really. All I could seem to focus on was the knife-sharp desire for pretty, shiny things -- material things -- things my far wealthier friends and classmates possessed. Things that were impossibly beyond my reach. Their worth far beyond my parents' humble income. They struggled just to pay my tuition. I struggled just to fit in, hoping my classmates wouldn't notice how worn my shoes were, hiding my feet out of sight so that the scuff marks wouldn't show.

Like I said, I was a silly little empty-headed girl. I make no excuses for my former self. And I'd be lying if I said I still don't long for pretty, shiny things today. But at least I don't attribute my self worth to them anymore. I've learned to appreciate things that do not possess price tags, that are far beyond the concept of worth. Though this lesson was not without its own cost -- the cost of experience.

Click here if you want to read the short story "The Necklace." I promise you it's a quick read, and I also promise that it will make you think (as only the best stories can).

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Wishlist Wednesday! {the birthday edition}

I know what you're thinking -- Annie Cristina finally got her act together and posted her Wednesday Wishlist... on a Wednesday.

I'm shocked, too, believe me. Danielle is probably unconscious right now, having fainted after reading that I posted my wishlist on time.

But the thing is... I've been planning my wishlist for a little bit now, my birthday being in less than in a month (October 10). And since this year my birthday falls on October 10, 2010 -- 10/10/10 -- it's extra special to me. All those 10's, you know. That's pretty cool.

So I guess this is more than a Wednesday Wishlist -- it's a Birthday Wishlist, too. :-)

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What are you wishing for today?

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And the winner of the Ma Cherie Creations giveaway is...

Using Random.org, I selected the following number:


And the reader with the lucky 5th comment was:


 Congrats, Asheyna! Please email me at ASimon78(at)aol.com with your shipping address. And thanks again to Ma Cherie Creations for hosting this most excellent giveaway. Stay tuned for the next one... :-)
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Lolcat of the Week


Are you a superstitious person? I don't think I am. I think I would walk under that ladder, scary demon-eyed cat and all.

Have a great Monday! :-)


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Week in Review

Even though this was a short work week, having Monday off and then Thursday as a Teacher Planning Day, I still felt wrecked on Friday. I think I'm still getting accustomed to teaching freshmen. Not to mention waking up at 6 AM. (Case in point: I woke up today at 12:45 PM.) I am soooo not a morning person. Why did I agree to become a teacher again?!

Oh yeah -- because I actually love the little monsters. (And I might be a bit of a masochist.)

This weekend has been relaxing and yummy. On Friday, I ate dinner with Ricky and his family. We had some awesome, authentic Mexican food. On Saturday Ricky and I went to one of our favorite restaurants, Titanic. They brew their own beer, which is amazing, and I happen to think their club sandwich and bread pudding are out of this world. So if you're ever in Miami, check them out. You won't be sorry. And invite me so I won't be sorry, either.

Just now I found myself doing something kind of funny -- opening the fridge, not finding anything I liked, then leaving and coming back in a ten minutes or so to open it again and peruse the contents of the fridge, as if they would've magically changed in the last ten minutes. Have you ever done this, too? Also -- why has this blog post been all about food?

I guess I might be hungry. Time to go check if the fridge has been magically restocked in my absence.

Here are my blog posts from this week in case you missed any of them:

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 Hope you are having a relaxing & yummy weekend! :-)

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Sometimes I write extremely short poems.

Something about the new Interpol album inspired this poem. And it just happens to be an obscenely short poem. So yeah, here goes nothing:

You break over me like a wave

You break over me like a wave
The push and pull of your frustrations
Leaving me breathless
Leaving me broken
And I can only tread water
Following the thread of your breath
Sifting through memories
Like innumerable grains of sand
I can only do so much
To fight this current
To swallow these salt tears
I can only do so much
To remain whole.

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Never Forget.

I may not have known anyone personally who was killed or injured by the attacks on September 11th, but that doesn't mean it didn't affect me personally. I still get chills to this day when I remember that morning... I was still a college student at Florida International University. I wasn't a teacher yet -- I was a passenger assistant in Miami International Airport. I woke up early that morning and turned on the "Today" show as I prepared my breakfast, as I normally did before getting ready for class. I remember feeling shocked when the plane hit the first tower, then an overwhelming sense of fear when the second tower was hit.

My phone immediately started ringing as friends and family members began calling to voice their feelings -- outrage, confusion, fear, sorrow. Most of them on the verge of tears, if not already giving vent to them.

For the first time in my life as an American, I no longer felt secure.

For the first time in my life, period, I worried for the safety of my loved ones and myself.

It was a terrifying feeling, as if the ground had been ripped out from beneath my feet. But that is nothing compared to the loss so many people had to endure on that day and still have to endure to this day.

There is so much controversy still surrounding 9-11, but no matter what, we must remember to keep those lost in our thoughts & prayers. And we must never forget.


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Happy Friday!

It's gloomy outside and about to rain, but I don't mind because it's Happy Friday!

A few things are making me happy today:
  1. I have new blog followers, yay! And to those of you who have added me because of giveaways past, thanks for sticking around. :D
  2. I ordered Benefit's confessions of a concealaholic kit and it arrived today. I can't wait to try it out -- I have some serious under eye circles that regular concealer doesn't do much to camouflage -- here's hoping this will!
  3. I am finally beginning to learn my students' names -- all 200 or so of them. I can't tell you how important this is -- they get severely peeved if you get their name wrong, and it's awesome to see their little faces break into a smile when you finally get it right.
But the big reason why I'm happy today is because it's FRIDAY. Which means I can SLEEP IN tomorrow. The word "yay" doesn't even begin to encompass my excitement over this fact.

Here are my answers to Lauren's fill in the blank for this week...

1.   The strangest thing I've ever eaten is  alligator meat. As you can expect, it tastes like chicken (why does everything taste like chicken?!).

2.  I wouldn't be caught dead   in a bikini right now -- I need to get in shape, the quicker the better, so that I can flaunt that bikini bod next summer.

3.  When I am 75 I will....  hopefully have a few published books under my belt, a lifetime's worth of teaching experience, and most importantly, a lifetime's worth of love, family, and joy.

4.  If I had to be named after a place I would want to be named   Florence, or to make it even more exotic, Firenze, like the Italians call it. I just think it's a pretty name.

5.  My name is  Ana Cristina Simon de Gonzalez. But you can call me Annie. ;)

6.  My all time favorite photo is  the first photo that Ricky and I ever took officially as a couple -- it was at a work party, and we are both wearing ear-to-ear grins. I need to post it on here someday -- right now it's sitting on my desk at work.

7.  If I could afford it I would  have a maid to cook my meals, clean my house, and wash my laundry. All the silly chores that take up so much time and make me so annoyed. This would give me more play time, which would be nice. (Ah, to be rich...)
 

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I hope you have an excellent weekend full of yummy food & fun times! Don't forget to enter my Ma Cherie Creations giveaway. :-)

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On/Off.

Have you ever had one of those days when you're just ON? Everything out of your mouth is the wittiest thing ever, people left and right are congratulating you for your awesomeness, and all you need is for the red carpet to unfurl before you as you sashay your fabulous way through the world. You are just ON fire, and everyone knows it. Including you.

Sounds wonderful, right? We've all had those days, right? Yeah, well, today I'm definitely OFF. Everything out of my mouth today has sounded convoluted and stupid even to my own ears, people left and right must have been wondering what is wrong with me, and all I need is for the world to stop and let me get OFF because I'm having ... well, an OFF day. And I'm sure everyone knows it. I definitely do.

At least tomorrow is a teacher planning day -- no students, just me in my classroom grading papers as I listen to my iPod and revel in my teacher downtime, which is not something we get a lot as teachers.

Here's hoping tomorrow is an ON day.

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Cheer me up with a comment, would ya?
Oh, and enter my giveaway here. That will cheer me up, too.

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